Clasp



W0 Model.)

' J. J. UNBBHEND.

CLASP.

No. 326,351. Patented vSept. 15,1885.

v UN TED STATES,

PATENT O F CE.

JACOB J. UNBEHEND, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

QIIASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter siPatent Np. 326,351, dated September 15, 1885.

' Application filed March 2,1885. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AOOB J UNBEHEND,

of Syracuse,'in the county of Onondaga, in

the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsyis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of clasps IO ill which a slotted plate attached to the shoe at one side of the opening thereof interlocks with a tongue hinged to a plate which is attached to the shoe at the opposite side of the opening. j

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction and combination of the constituent members of the aforesaid clasp whereby the same is rendered more efficient in its operation and specially adapted for formed, and Fig. VIII is a side view of the clasp with the tongueraised or swung into position for either engaging with or releasing the slotted plate. 1

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. i

Adenotes the transverse]y-slottedplate designed to be attached to one of the flaps, F,

of a shoe. In order to better adapt it for use on a leather shoe, I connect to said plate a clip, 0, composed of sheet metal folded back upon itself and loosely embracing the end cross-bar of the plate A, so as to allow said plate to turn on the clip and swing at right angles to the plane of the plate. The doubled end portion of the clip 0 is provided with an eye, r, for the reception of a rivet or eyelet by which it is attached to the flap F of the shoe, as illustrated in Fig. I of the drawings.

The aforesaid loose connection of the plate A with the clip 0 allows the plate to be easily. 'raised'from the leather flap F, and the eye r allows the plate to be swung around in position for passing through one of the slots thereof, the tongue T, which is to interlock with it, thus facilitating the manipulation of the clasp. Q

B represents the base plate on which the tongue T isjhinged. Said base-plate is provided with an eye, 1", forthe reception of a rivet or eyelet by which it is attached to the other flap, F,of the shoe. This plate B,I provide with a log or eye, 0, which is'raised or projects vertically from said plate. I

The tongue T,I provide with two openings, 0 and o, with anintervening cross' -bar, a,

which is embraced by the eye e,'and constitutes 'the'pintle or hinge-pin ofthc tongue.

By the openingso 0 the tongueis formed with two arms, ff, which carry the pintle abetweenthem, as shown in Fig. VII of the drawings. Said arms abutting against the ends'of the eye eserves to prevent lateral movement of the tongue. The forward extremity of the tongue is formed with lateral outward projectionsc c, and at the pintle a the end portion, b, which has the aforesaid projections c c, is bent nearly or quite at right angles to the plane of the mainportion of the tongue, and lies back of the shank of the eye 0 when the clasp is closed, as represented in Figs. II and III of the drawings. Said bent end portion of the tongueis designed to receive the strain of the slotted plate A when interlocked with the tongue, and the latter in a closed position, in which case the cross-bar of the plate A, back of the slot through which the tongue is passed, bears against the portion bof the tongue, and thereby presses the tongue down on the base-plate B,

and automatically retains the same in its closed position, as illustrated in Figs. III and II of the drawings. The last-described feature, however, has been embodied in other clasps prior to my present invention, and I therefore do not claim the same, broadly -but my improvements in this feature consist, first, in providing the end portion, b, of the tongue with the lateral projections c c, which reach under the side bars of the slotted plate, and serve to throw the said plate up and over the lug or ICO eye 6 when raising the tongue from the baseplate and throwing it into its open position, as illustrated in Fig. VIII of the drawings.

Heretofore attempts have been made to make the portion b serve the function of the aforesaid throw-01f without the aid of the projections c c, and the result was that in raising the tongue from its closed position the end of the plain portion 1) was liable to enter another of the slots of the plate A back of the slot through which the tongue is extended, and in passing through said back slot the portion b not only lost to a great extent its lifting hold on the plate A, but also frequently became engaged with the next cross-bar of said plate, and thus prevented further movement of the tongue. This defect is effectually obviated by the projections c a passing under the side bars of the slotted plate A.

My second improvement in the described throw-off piece of the tongue consists in providing the under side of the tongue with a guide or guides for carrying the interlocked portion of the slotted plate A over the eye 6, and to a proper bearing on the throw-off piece 1), during the operation of drawing the slotted plate toward and down onto the plate B by the tongue T, inserted into one of the slots of the plate A, said guides being represented in the annexed drawings in the form of inclined flanges d d, projecting from the under side of the tongue, which flanges are formed from the flaring portions cld. bent at right angles from the plane of the blank shown in Fig. VII of the drawings.

The edges of the lug or eye e, I provide with shoulders or projections t t, which serve to arrest the movement of the tongue T to its open position, as shown in Fig. VIII of the drawings.

a n designate extensions of the plate B in front of the lug or eye 0, which extensions are made for the purpose of affording to the front end of the said plate a bearing on the shoe, so as to better sustain the same while raising the free end of the tongue T from said plate.

Havin'g described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a clasp of the class described, the pivoted tongue T, provided below its pivot with a throw off piece having lateral extensions engaging the under side of the plate interlocked with the tongue.

2. In combination with the slotted plate and the base-plate arranged opposite said slotted plate, a lug projecting vertically from the plane of the base-plate, the tongue hinged 011 said lug and provided with a throw-off piece below its pivot, and the guide-flanges projecting from the under side of the tongue for guiding the interlocked slotted plate to the aforesaid throw-off piece, as set forth and shown.

3. In combination with the slotted plate A, the plate B, provided with the raised lug or eye 6, the tongue T, formed with the throwoff piece b and with the projections c c, and guide-flanges d d, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the tongue T, the base-plate B, provided with a lug on which the tongue is hinged, and shoulders on said lug for arresting the movement of the tongue to its open position, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the tongue T, formed with the arms f f, and with the pintle a between said arms, of the base-plate B, formed with the raised eye e, embracing the pintle, and provided with the shoulderst t on the ends of the eye, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination with the slotted plateA, base-plate B, and tongue T, hinged on said base-plate, forward extensions of the baseplate to support the same in front of the hinge of the tongue, and raised bearings for the slotted plate back of the aforesaid extensions of the base-plate, as and for the purpose set forth.

7 In combination with the slotted plate A, the base-plate B, provided with the raised lug or eye 6, and with the extensions or n in front of said lug, and the tongue T, hinged on the lug or eye, and provided with the projections c a, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination with the attaching-plate of a clasp, the clip 0, composed of a strip of metal folded back upon itself and loosely embracing the end cross-bar of the aforesaid plate, and provided in its doubled end portions with the eye 7', for the reception of the rivet by which it is pivoted'on the shoe, whereby the said plate is allowed to swing parallel to as well as at right angles to the plane thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 17th day of February, 1885,

JACOB J. UNBEHEND. [Lls] Vfitnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, WM. 0. RAYMOND.

IIO 

